Whiffletree attachment



(No Model.)

J. KURTZ.l

' l WHIF-FLBT-RBE ATTACHMENT.

No. 355,326. Patented Jan. ,L1-.1887.l

aumento@ UNrTnD STATESl f PATENT Carien.,

JAOOB KURTZ, OF DELANO, MINNESOTA.

WHIFFLETREE ATTACHMENT.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 355,32, dated January 4, 1887.`

Application. tiled September 30, 1886. Serial No. 214,9'78. (No model.)

To zzZZ whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JACOB KURTZ, a citizen of the United States, residing at Delano, in the county of Wright and State of Minnesota, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Whittletree Attachments, of which the following is a specification. My invention is an improved attachment to -Whiftletrees for detaching horses; and it consists of the details of construction, combination, arrangement, and adaptation of parts for service, substantially as hereinafter described and claimed.

The object of my invention is the provision of a horse-detacher which can be easily and readily operated by a person in the vehicle to detach the horse therefrom in a moments time; further, to improve and simplify the construction, and thereby render the attachment strong and durable, thoroughlyefteient, and inexpensive of manufacture.

I have illustrated detaching means con structed in accordance with my invention in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a top plan view of my improved horse-detacher. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sec tional view of the central portion of the same. Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view of the end of the whiftletree, showing the pivoting of the guard. Fig. 4 is a detail View of one end of the whiftletree to show the operation of the spring-actuated guard.

Referring to the drawings, in which similar letters of reference denote corresponding parts in the several iigures thereof, A designates a whiflletree of the ordinary or any preferred form. On the opposing ends of the said whiffletree are secured ferrules B, having tubes, barrels, or sleeves C formed integral therewith, or secured thereto in any desired manner, for the purpose to be presently explained.

Near the outer ends of the ferrules are provided aligned openings b and b', to receive pins, bolts, or pivots D, passing through the said openings and rigidly secured at one end to the angular guards or trace-retaining devices E, which consist of the straight arms e and the curved arms e', the latter having an operating-bend, e. Springs d2 are coiled around the bolts, pins, or pivots D, to give a spriugaetion to the guards E, and retain the said guardsV always in their proper or normal position. Studs or projections@s are secured or formed on the ferrules at suitable points to limit the movement of the spring actuated guards E.

F designates a metal plate, secured to the whiffletree at about the center by screws, bolts, or the like, and having an opening,f, formed therein at the center to allow the passage of the usual bolt G,secured in place by the nut g. This bolt G forms a pivot for the lever H, which lever H is seated in and has a horizontal or lateral movement within a cutout portion, z, of the whifetree A.

To both ends of the lever H are attached rods I, which extend along the whifetree, and

therefrom, as at t?, until they come on a line with the guards E.

An angular arm or extension, H, is provided on the lever H, in the end of which arm or extension is provided an eye or opening, h, to allow the insertion of a ring, h', to which the cord, chain, Or rbpe h? is attached, that runs back'and is operated from the vehicle.

To retain the lever H and the other parts always in their normal position I provide a coiled spring, J, attached at one end to the extension or arm H and at the other end to the Whiftletree A.

This being the construction o f my device, the operation of the same is as follows: 'The spring-actuated guards E are turned, causing them to assume the position shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings, so as to allow the traces to be placed upon the projecting ends 2 of the rods I. When the guards are released the springs cause them to return to their normal position, as shown in Fig. 1, in which position they retain the traces in place, as will be readily understood. The traces having been attached it is only necessary to pull'onthe cord or chain h, thereby moving the arm H, operating the lever H, carrying the rods I, thereby causing From the foregoing it will be observed that I provide a horse-detaching means which can be operated very easily to release the horse, and that all danger of the horse becoming detached when not necessary is entirely avoided. I also provide an attachment which can be secured to any Whiidietree at a Acomparatively small cost, which is neat in appearance, and is not likely to get out of order; also, that my means for retaining the traces in place are novel and efficient, thus providing` an attachment which combines all the requisites in this class of devices, and commends itself as a practical and useful device to all desiring safety in the use of horses.

I claiml. The combination, with the whifiletree, of the fixed ferrules having the guide-thimbles, the lever, the endWise-n'iovable rods connected to the lever and passing through the guidethimbles, the pivots passing through the fixed ferrules, the guards connected to the pivots and inipinging against the ends of the rods, and the spring for normally holding the guards in contact with the rods, substantially as described, for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination, in a whiletree, of the lever, the rods to which the traces are connected, the swinging guards pivoted to the Whiffletree, a spring to normally hold the guards in contact with the ends of the rods, and a fixed stop for limiting the movement of the guard in one direction, substantially as described, for the purpose set forth.

8. The combination, with a whiiletree, of

the pivoted lever having an extended arm, H',

to which an operating cord or rod is connected, the guides, the rods connected to the lever and passing through the guides, the spring, also connected to the lever to hold the latter in a given position and normally project the outer ends of the rods through the fixed guides, and the guards normally in contact With the outer ends of the rods, substantially as described, for the purpose set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

JACOB KURTZ.

Witnesses:

' J. GUNINGI-IAM,

O. L. BILLINGS. 

